Cheap sunbird locations? Escape Florida summer

[SlowBro]

If you had to go somewhere to spend a few months that's got a comfortable summer climate and is low-cost (under $400/mo if electricity is included), where would you go? Preference for low population density and closer to the east coast; Prefer no further west than Iowa but willing to consider any location. Would rather not have to move a lot. Don't need touristy things nearby, a Walmart/grocery store/auto parts store/mechanic/hospital/etc. within half an hour will be fine. Looking for moderate summer humidity and temperature.

Maybe somewhere up in the mountains? A low-priced mountainside RV park with monthly or quarterly rates would be wonderful, assuming the humidity and temps and bugs aren't bad.

We're the opposite of snowbirds, living full-time in Florida. All the articles I see about full-timing seem to be aimed at snowbirds, but we're sunbirds 🙂

We can boondock if the location is exceptional. We have a compost toilet and 6000W of solar (no, it's not on the roof, LOL) but a small battery bank. Can run the air con on solar only during the mid-day. We do have a generator but running it is pricey, especially with the price of gas. So would prefer a destination that hardly needs any air con in the summer, and fans at night. Would rather not have to move a lot, as packing all 26 of the 45-pound panels into the trailer every time would get to be a chore. So a long-term RV park may make more sense than boondocking and moving every two weeks, although boondocking isn't off the table. It just has to be very good. And given the mechanic and parts shortages going on, I want to minimize the driving.

In case you're wondering why so much solar and not so much battery: To offset the price of Florida air conditioning 🙂 And to have some emergency power during a blackout. The majority of power load in FL is mid-day with the air con so I didn't bias toward a lot of batteries, just needed to offset costs and give emergency power. It's "hybrid" in that it switches between grid and solar panels/batteries as needed, so unlike grid-tie we have emergency power available mid-day; Better to have some power in a blackout than none. We may buy more batteries if we boondock a lot, but for now I'm going to stick with what we have.

[TxGearhead]

We are in the same boat...Houston heat and humidity. August 2020 we spent near Durango Colorado. It was OK but I'm looking for something more midwest or east coast. We spent a little time in Iowa and central Illinois this August. It was warm and occasionally humid but very bearable. I have experienced the biting flies in Ohio and would prefer to avoid that. I hear Michigan has the same flies.
Check out Roberts Creek Park (county) around Red Rock Lake near Pella IA. They have full hook ups. There are several COE parks around the lake. We fell in love with Pella, a well scrubbed Dutch town.
Be aware when the sprint car Knoxville Nationals are racing in Knoxville everything is full.

[ferndaleflyer]

I would like to go there to but being 80 I can't seem to convince kids and mama that it would be ok. But it was ok to put 12,000mi on DP in 18 months up and down the Eastern US since Covid.

[SlowBro]

Alaska sounds GREAT. With the mechanic and parts shortages a long trip worries me. But it’s something to consider. Oh and I didn’t get “the juice” so I probably wouldn’t be allowed through Canada. I’ll think about it but it probably won’t work for us.

[ferndaleflyer]

Could just go on up to Alaska! I mean how far do some on here expect you to travel from FL. Anyway its cool up there below 5000 feet.--LOL

[wing_zealot]

Good luck finding a place near traverse city for $400/month. You might find a place in the UP but it will be few and far between and not be near a big city like Munising ( big city for the UP). More likely to some place closer to Mohawk - and don’t worry, there is no extra charge for the bugs.

[johnhicks]

Thanks JoeH, we're thinking about going up to Michigan next summer. I presume areas on the lakes are cooler than inland?

[JoeH]

We spend the summers in Maine and Michigan. Usually July and part of August in Maine , then head to northern Michigan till we return to Fl. We stay at resort type places, so can't help with the price range you are targeting, but check out coastal areas of down east Maine and area around Traverse City, MI for parks the suit your needs. If you want to go further north, into the UP of Michigan, there are some nice state parks and one place I liked was the town campground at Munising, MI.. near Painted rocks national lakeshore.

[IDman]

Forget humid areas like Georgia and N. Carolina.

For truly comfortable days with cool nights, head to the mountains of New Mexico or southern Colorado.

[IDman]

If you truly want to be cooler in the summer, then head for the mountains of New Mexico or southern Colorado. 7000' or higher will keep you very comfortable with balmy days and cool nights. Forget humid areas like Georgia and N.Carolina.

[johnhicks]

> recommend?

I haven't found it yet, but after spending a couple of years in the north Georgia mountains I know that's not it. It was still rather warm at 2000ft in July and August. We're also native Floridiots. I've read that roughly 5000ft+ is the sweet spot.

[magnusfide]

Canada and Nova Scotia/PEI in particular are enjoyable. You can watch the whales and visit a number of cultural museums.

[SlowBro]

johnhicks wrote:
You'll need to look for altitude; 2000 feet isn't high enough in mid-summer once you're well away from the Florida seabreeze and afternoon thundershowers.

Where do you recommend?

[SlowBro]

agesilaus wrote:
North of Crystal River in FL, we're staying in Chiefland for $440/mo plus 15 cents a KW. I find the 6000 watts of solar unlikely tho, that is 50 plus panels, you sure you don't mean 600 watts? Anyway this park is new, has pickelball and so on, paved sites, and lots of springs and such in the area. No pool yet but one is planned. But the next place down is about $1000/mo
I doubt any park would let you set up 6000 watts tho.

If staying in a park we'd prob not deploy any of them or very few. Only mentioned because boondocking.

We're paying 10 cents a KW, but with the rising prices I thought I'd better buy 24 x 230W panels and also a few 170W flex panels for the roof on a separate system, all that comes to yes, about 6000W. Could prob get by with half those but I got the panels for dirt cheap, the charger/inverter minimum for 220V I could find was 5000W, thought might as well rack 'em up. Better to have them and not need them. I might travel with half those, don't know yet.

Thanks for the recommend on Crystal River but where do you go up north in the summer? We already have a year-round Florida home.

[johnhicks]

You'll need to look for altitude; 2000 feet isn't high enough in mid-summer once you're well away from the Florida seabreeze and afternoon thundershowers.